The Biden administration is sprinting to finalize the unfinished pieces of its climate policy, from fully disbursing Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds to getting final regulations out the door.
The incoming Trump administration is all but certain to roll back numerous Biden actions, but getting money disbursed can make at least some of Biden’s policies permanent.
In a memo made public this week, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients called on employees to “sprint to the finish line and get as much done as possible for the American people.”
He said that while the administration has already awarded 98 percent of the funds it could legally spend through October under several of Biden’s signature laws, the president “has directed us to keep up this pace and obligate as much funding as possible before the end of the term.”
“Expect more action on high-speed internet funds to states, CHIPS incentives funding, IRA funding, and more,” he wrote, referring to the Inflation Reduction Act, which included historic investments to combat climate change.
Former President Trump has denied the well-established science behind climate change, downplayed its impacts and indicated that he would try to reverse a broad suite of actions taken by Biden that seek to mitigate the problem.
Republicans have indicated that they would seek to claw back or redirect any unspent funds, especially from the IRA, so the White........